Six Fairy Tales, Op. 51

“No one tells such Tales as Koyla!” exclaimed an excited Rachmaninov after Medtner played these set of pieces in a private meeting. The English classification, “Fairy Tale,” seems to be appropriate for these works as they are dedicated to Russian folk characters, Zolushka (Cinderella) and Young Ivan the Fool, who symbolizes a poor, naïve man that always puts his heart first before his mind. The following was described in the program notes of Medtner’s recital in Pennsylvania in 1930: “In the first tale the characters are introduced, the second is a song of Cinderella, the last a dance of the Fool.”

With these set of pieces, Medtner takes us to an otherworldly dimension with the spellbinding and entrancing melodies found in No. 3. Even in the dark and brooding qualities found in the main theme of No. 4, he indicates sostenuto, magico.

Written during a time when the composer was experiencing depression and poverty, Ivan’s character seemed to manifest in his life. In a letter to his friend and singer, Tatiana Makushina, he confided: “I have a horrible feeling that this whole story will turn out to be another fairy tale about “Ivan the Fool” who I have already proved myself to be so many times in my life.”